Air-heater cleaner



2 Sheefs-Sheet l @March 3l, 1931. s. F. COX

AIR HEATER CLEANER Filed June 21 March 31, 1931. s. F. COX

AIR HEATER CLEANER Filed June 2l 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fwuentoz ,Sam a e Z j" faflkoznui Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAMUEL F. COX, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, .ASSIGNOR T0 DIAMOND POWER SPECIALTY CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 0F MICHIGAN AIR-HEATER CLEANER Application filed June 21, 1926.

The invention relates to cleaners and refers more particularly to an improved cleaning or soot blowing apparatus adapted for regenerative heating devices.

One of the objects of the invention resides in the provision of means for automatically periodically controlling one or more cleaners, whereby, cleaning fluid will be discharged adjacent parts of the heating device to be cleaned. A further feature oi? the invention resides in the provision of control means for a blower, which is responsive to a predetermined operation of the heating device.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts: Y

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of' the heating device showing my invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is an elevation View at right angles with Figure 1, j

Figure 3 is a plan view thereof,

Figure 4 is a detail view partly in section showing the electrical contact control, and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring plan.

In the drawings I have illustrated my invention applied to a heating device of' the 30' type shown in the patent to Ljungstrom, No.

1,558,445, October 20, 1925, although other types of heaters are equally well adapted for use in connection with the invention. Reference character A illustrates the main casing comprising upper and lower sections 10 and 11 respectively, and intermediate section 12. The sections 10 and 11 are divided vertically by bales 13 and 14 respectively, to provide a pair of vertical passages in the casing A. One of these passages may be supplied with inlet 15`for fluid such as air to be heated, the incoming air passing downwardly through the immediate section 12 containing the heat transmitting rotor B and then through outlet 16 to the point of use of the heated air,ordinarily a boiler. The other passage conducts hot gases such as boiler products of combustion from the inlet 17 through the rotor B, the heat being transferred to the latter and thence through the outlet 18. The rotor B may be rotatably sup- Serial No. 117,549.

ported on rollers 19, suitably journaled in the casing section 12 and may be constructed of a plurality of radially disposed regenerative sheets 20, such as thin sheet steel having the property of readily absorbing the heat from the flue gases and giving up the absorbed heat to the air as the sheets 20 are rotated from the path of the exhaust gases to the path of the air. Radial and circumferential partitions 21 and ,22 may be provided to form a number of compartments in the rotor, each being lled with the sheet material 20. i

The rotor B may be driven in any suitable manner such as from a pulley 23, gearing 24, chain 25 and driving roller 26.

In applying my invention to the heating device just described, I provide one or more blower elements positioned to discharge cleaning fluid adjacent the sheets 20 for removing soot and other accumulations. Thus I may provide blower elements O and D respectively above and below rotor B and having one or more nozzles 27 directed to discharge cleaning fluid, such as steam, air or the like from supply pipe 28. Element O discharges jets downwardly and is located in the path of the downwardly flowing air while element D blowing upwardly is located in the path of theupwardly flowing flue gases.

Supply pipes 28 are provided with cleaning fluid solenoid'control valves 29 and 30 for elements O and D respectively. Rotor B has one or more teeth 31 engageable to impart Vstep by step rotation to wheel 32. The latter wheel drives a shaft 33 by suitable reduction gearing comprising gear 34, chain 35, gear 36 and gears 37, 38. Shaft 33 in t-urn rotates contact shaft 39 through a further reduction 40. FiXedly mounted on Contact shaft 39 is a rotatable disk 41 carrying contact 42 reciprocable in insulating bearing 43 and normally urged to the left as seen in Figure 4 by a tension spring 44. 45 is a stationary support for fixed contact 46, one end of which lies in the path of the contact 42. Adjacent ends of contacts 42 and 46 are rounded at 47 so that contact 42 will be moved to the right against y the tension of the spring 44 insuring an effective electricalY contact, thesecontacts constituting a circuit closing means which is actuated b y means responsive to a predetermined movement of rotor B, namely, the tooth 3l and the mechanism actuated thereby lVith reference to Figure 5, I have shown electric circuit 'E comprising leads 4x8, di) connecting the solenoid va'lves29, 80, the circuit being closed by engagement of contact-4:2-V

withcontact for each revolution of disk 41. Lead 49 may be connected to contact ll-2, through a ring contact 50 fixed against rotation and a brush 5l which engages the ring 5() and which is connected to the contact 42 by a lead 52.

Thus by reason of the reduction gearing between rotor B and diskv A4l, the blowers may be made tov automatically operate to clean the'rotor `at desired periods with respect to the movement of the rotor. F or example, the rotormay be driven ata speed of four revolutions per minute while the speed of the di'skal inaybeone revolution in eight hours.

If desired instead of arranging the circuit as shown in Figure 5, the blowers may be arranged in'sepairateicircuits so that they will function alternately as will be readily understood.v Also by providing'anumber of contacts 42, the blowers may be operated at greater frequenc'y'than once per revolution of disc 4l.

What l claim as my invention'is:

l. In a regenerative heatingl device in which the fluidto be heated and the fluid giving offbeat pass alternatelyfthrough the same passages' of 'the Yregenerative material, tlie combination'- with a continuously 'rotating body contaiiii'ng'the regenerative material, of a blower element' positioned in proximity to 'said rotating body and provided with a .cleaning'fliiid discharge nozzle directed toward said body, a source of cleaning fluid, means for 'imparting rotationto said body, and means 'responsive to a predetermined `rotation of said body for controlling the passage of cleaning fluid fromsaidsource of supply to said blower elements 2. In a regenerative heating device" in which the fluid to be heated and the fluid giving ofi' heat passfalternately through the same passages ofthe-regenerative material, the combination with a rotating body containing theregenerative material, of'cleaning apparatusarranged'at each side of the rotating body and operating in opposite directions"respectively, each of said *cleaning apparatus vcomprising a `blower element provided with a` cleaning` fluid ydischarge nozzle directed toward said body, a source of cleaning iiuid, `meansfor imparting rotation to lsaid body, and means responsive to a predetermined rotation of 'said body for controlling the passage `of cleaning fluid from said source of supply to said blower elements.

3. n a regenerative 'heating device in which'the fluid' to lbe-heatedl vand the fluid giving oill heat pass alternately through the same passages of the regenerative material, the combination with a continuously rotating body containing the regenerative material, of' a blower element positioned in proximity' to said rotating body and provided with a cleaning-'fluid discharge nozzle directed toward said body, a source of cleaning fluid, means for imparting rotation to said body, an velectrically actu'able'valve'coii'- trolling the supply of cleaning fluid from said source to said blower element, circuit closing means for said valve, and means responsive to a predeterinii'ied rotation of said body for actuating said circuit closing means.

Ll. lual regenerative heating device in which the fluid'to be heated and the' fluid giving oli'l heat pass alternately through thesanie passages of the regenerative' material, the combination with a continuously rotating body containing the regenerative materiah of a blower element positioned in proximity to said 'rota-ting' body and provided with `a cleaning fluid discharge nozzle directed t0- ware said body, asource of cleaning fluid, means for imparting rotation to said body, an electrically actuable valve controlling the supply of cleaning fluid from said source `to saidblower element', circuit closing means for said valve, and means responsive to a predetermined rotation of said body for actuating said circuit closinglmeans,'said lastl named means comprising-stepeby4step actuated reduction gearing.

5.' In an air heater cleaner, the combina?" tion with an air heater having a 'niovableregenerative body, of' a blower el'em'entfprovided with a discharge'nozzl'e' directed toward said body, a source of vcleaningflu'id, and means responsive to a `predeterminedI movement of said body for controlling the supply of cleaning fluid from said vsource to said blower element.

6.' Thecoinbinationwith an air heater havling a moving part, of a blower element,`a

lbody containing the regenerative material, of'

a blower element positioned in proximity to said rotating body and provided with a cleaningI iiuid'discliarge nozzle directed toward said body, a source of cleanin "fluid, means for -imparting rotation to said ody, an elecY trically actuable valve controlling the supply of cleaning fluid from said source to said blower elemeiit,"circuit closing means for said valve,"aiid means' responsive to a predetery "mined rotation of said body' for actuating said circuit elosin means, said last mentioned means inclu ing a wheel adjacent the said rotating body, a member on said rotating body periodically engageable with said l wheel for imparting a step by step rotation to the same, and a connection between Said wheel and said circuit closing means.

8. The combination with air heater having a moving part, of a blower element, a valve for controlling the supply of cleaning fluid to said element, and means responsive to a predetermined movement of said moving part for actuating said valve, said means including a rotatable member adjacent said moving part, a projection on said moving part periodically engageable with said rotatable member for imparting a step by step rotation to the same, and means for actuating said valve upon a predetermined rotation of said rotatable member.

9. The combination with an air beater having a portion movable during the operation thereof, of a cleaner unit for cleaning parts of said air heater, and means operable upon a predetermined movement of the movable portion of said air heater to ei'ect an actuation of said cleaner unit.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

SAMUEL F. COX. 

